North Las Vegas, Nevada - Simon Fraser used a strong fourth quarter to edge New Mexico Highlands 69-68 on Friday afternoon at the Coyote Event Center on the opening day of the Great Western Shoot Out. The loss dropped New Mexico Highlands to 4-6, while Simon Fraser improved to 7-5.
The Cowgirls led 29-22 at halftime, holding Simon Fraser to just 33.3% shooting (9 of 27) from the floor through the first 20 minutes. NMHU extended the lead to 48-40 after three quarters of play, but Simon Fraser outscored the Cowgirls 29-20 in the fourth quarter to secure the one-point win.
Three Cowgirls reached double figures, led by
Kapiolani Anitielu's 24 points.
Aniya Johnson recorded a career-high 23 points, and
Aspen Salazar chipped in 12.
NMHU held a 38-35 edge on the boards, paced by Johnson's team-high six rebounds.
The Cowgirls forced 23 turnovers in the contest, converting them into 21 points.
The Cowgirls will look to bounce back in game two of the Great Western Shoot Out on Saturday afternoon when they face Western Washington at 3:15 pm. The Vikings opened the tournament with a 44-40 win over Eastern New Mexico earlier in the day.
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